Six rare rhinos drown in national park
Heavy monsoon downpours inundate Northeast India. These downpours have also submerged a National Park, resulting in consequences for the animals living there: Six rare rhinoceroses died in the floods.
The heavy monsoon downpours in Northeast India have also submerged a National Park and killed six rare rhinoceroses. The flooding in Kaziranga National Park affected "humans and animals equally," stated the Chief Minister of Assam, Himanta Biswa Sarma. Emergency services are "working around the clock" to help everyone.
According to wildlife keepers, six rhinoceroses and dozens of deer drowned in the floodwaters in the past few days. Sarma had shared a video on social media on Monday showing a rhino calf almost submerged in water. He had ordered an "immediate rescue" for the calf, the Chief Minister announced.
Kaziranga National Park is home to two-thirds of the global one-horned rhinoceros population. In 2018, over 2400 individuals were counted in the park. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) lists the one-horned rhinoceros as vulnerable on their Red List.
The National Park, which is a UNESCO World Heritage Site, is flooded almost every year during the monsoon season. For the ecological balance of the park, the monsoon rain is crucial, but the animals can face problems due to the floodwaters. "Although there are higher-lying areas that provide protection for the animals, they suffer when the park is underwater," said a National Park representative.
Floods and Landslides
Monsoon rains are common in South Asia from June to September and are essential for water supply and provide relief from summer heat for people. However, in recent years, they have caused increasing floods, landslides, and destruction, with experts attributing the problem to climate change.
In Northeast India and neighboring Bangladesh, heavy monsoon downpours have caused severe flooding in the past few weeks. In Assam alone, there have been over 70 deaths since mid-May, and over 1.8 million people in 3000 villages were affected. However, the flooding is now receding, Sarma announced. For the Brahmaputra and its tributaries, there are no flood warnings at most locations.
The floodwaters in Kaziranga National Park, home to over 2400 one-horned rhinoceroses, have posed a significant threat to its international population. Due to the monsoon downpours, this UNESCO World Heritage Site was submerged, causing the unfortunate death of six rare rhinoceroses. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) classifies the one-horned rhinoceros as vulnerable, highlighting the importance of preserving these animals.
